Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Flag of Massachusetts Seal Nickname(s): Bay State Motto(s): Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem (Latin: By the sword she seeks peace under liberty)
Official language(s)	English
Demonym	Bay Stater[1]
Capital	Boston
Largest city	Boston
Largest metro area	Greater Boston
Area	Ranked 44th in the US
- Total	10,555[2] sq mi (27,336 km²)
- Width	183 miles (295 km)
- Length	113 miles (182 km)
- % water	25. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States has been represented by official but limited-purpose Flags since 1776 though until 1908 it had no state flag The Seal of Massachusetts contains the coat of arms of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a U This is a list of US state nicknames, including officially adopted Nicknames and other traditional nicknames for individual states of the United States. Here is a list of state Mottos for the states of the United States of America. Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem ( Latin "By the sword it seeks peace only under liberty" is a state motto of Massachusetts The United States does not have an Official language; however the majority of the population speaks English as a native language (about 82% English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place Washington DC has been the capital of the United States since 1800 This is a list of the largest cities of US states by population Table of United States Metropolitan Statistical Areas|Table of United States Core Based Statistical AreasIn the United States, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB has produced Greater Boston is the area of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts surrounding the city of Boston Massachusetts. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. This is a complete list of the states of the United States and its major territories ordered by total area, land area, and water area The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand 7
- Latitude	41° 14′ N to 42° 53′ N
- Longitude	69° 56′ W to 73° 30′ W
Population	Ranked 14th in the US
- Total	6,349,097
- Density	809. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology This is a list of states of the United States by population (with inhabited non-state jurisdictions included for comparison as of July 1, 2007, according to the This article is a list of the 50 US States ordered by Population density. 8/sq mi  312. 7/km² (3rd in the US)
- Median income	$52,354 (9th)
Elevation
- Highest point	Mount Greylock[3] 3,491 ft  (1,064 m)
- Mean	500 ft  (150 m)
- Lowest point	Atlantic Ocean[3] 0 ft  (0 m)
Admission to Union	February 6, 1788 (6th)
Governor	Deval Patrick (D)
Lieutenant Governor	Tim Murray (D)
U.S. Senators	Ted Kennedy (D) John Kerry (D)
Congressional Delegation	List
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Abbreviations	MA Mass. US-MA
Website	www.mass.gov

Massachusetts State Symbols
Living Symbols
-Bird	Black-capped Chickadee, Wild Turkey
-Fish	Cod
-Flower	Mayflower
-Insect	Ladybug
-Mammal	Right whale, Morgan horse, Tabby cat, Boston Terrier
-Reptile	Garter snake
-Tree	American Elm
Beverage	Cranberry Juice
Colors	Blue, Green, Cranberry
Dance	Square Dance
Food	Cranberry, Corn muffin, Navy bean, Boston cream pie, Chocolate chip cookie, Boston cream donut
Fossil	Mastodon
Gemstone	Rhodonite
Mineral	Babingtonite
Poem	"Blue Hills of Massachusetts"
Rock	Roxbury Puddingstone
Shell	Wrinkled Whelk
Ship(s)	Schooner Ernestina
Slogan(s)	Make It Yours, The Spirit of America
Soil	Paxton
Song(s)	All Hail to Massachusetts, Massachusetts, The Road to Boston, Massachusetts (Because of You Our Land is Free), The Great State of Massachusetts, Say Hello to Someone from Massachusetts, Ode to Massachusetts
Sport	Basketball
Route Marker(s)
Quarter	2000
See Also

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts (IPA: /ˌmæsəˈtʃuːsɨts/) is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Household income is a measure of current private income commonly used by the United States government and private institutions Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below --> Mount Greylock 3491 feet (1064 m is the highest point in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and is located in the northwest corner of the state Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This is a list of U Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats the combined army of Pompeian followers and Numidians under Metellus Scipio Year 1788 ( MDCCLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap A governor is a governing official usually the executive (at least nominally to different degrees also politically and administratively of a non-sovereign level of government This is a complete and current List of United States Lieutenant Governors. Timothy P Murray (born 1968 better known as Tim Murray, is the current Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts, U The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy (born February 22 1932 is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic } John Forbes Kerry (born December 11 1943 is an American Politician who is currently serving his fourth term as the junior United States Senator The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses These are complete tables of congressional delegations from Massachusetts to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives. This is a list of United States of America States by time zone The Eastern Time Zone ( ET) of the Western Hemisphere falls mostly along the east coast of North America and the west coast of South America Daylight saving time ( DST The traditional abbreviations for US states and territories were widely used in mailing addresses prior to the introduction of two-letter U ISO 3166-2US is an ISO standard which defines Geocodes it is the subset of ISO 3166-2 which applies to the United States of America. A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages This is a list of official symbols of the United States Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This is a list of US state birds as designated by each state's legislature The Black-capped Chickadee ( Poecile atricapillus) is a small common Songbird, a Passerine Bird in the tit family The Wild Turkey ( Meleagris gallopavo) is native to North America and is the heaviest member of the Galliformes. This is a list of official and *unofficial US state fish:The only states lacking a state fish as of 2008 are Arkansas Indiana Kansas and Ohio The Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, is a well-known Demersal food fish belonging to the family Gadidae. This is a list of US state flowers: See also List of US state trees Lists of U Epigaea repens ( Mayflower or Trailing Arbutus) is a low spreading Shrub in the Ericaceae family This is a list of United States state insects note that some states have more than one designated insect or have multiple categories (e Coccinella septempunctata, the seven-spot ladybird (or in North America, seven-spotted ladybug or "C-7") is the most common A state mammal is the official or representative Animal of a U Right whales are the species of large Baleen whales belonging to the Genus Eubalaena. ATTENTION *** This article should not become a gallery of people's cat photos The Boston Terrier is a breed of Dog of the Terrier dog type, originating in the United States of America. This is a list of official US state reptiles: See also Lists of United States state insignia A garter snake is any Species of North American Snake within the Genus Thamnophis. This List of US state trees includes official trees of the following states and U Ulmus americana, generally known as the American Elm or less commonly as the White Elm or Water Elm, is a species native to eastern This is a list of official state beverages: Cranberries are a group of Evergreen dwarf Shrubs or trailing vines in the genus Vaccinium subgenus Oxycoccos This is a list of US state colors: See also Lists of US state insignia Blue is a Colour, the Perception of which is evoked by Green is a Color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a Wavelength of roughly 520–570- nm. This is a list of official US state dances: See also Lists of U Square dance is a Folk dance with four couples (eight dancers arranged in a square with one couple on each side beginning with Couple 1 facing away from the music and going This is a list of official US state foods: Cranberries are a group of Evergreen dwarf Shrubs or trailing vines in the genus Vaccinium subgenus Oxycoccos A muffin is somewhat like a small Cake, and though it does resemble a Cupcake in that they both have cylindrical bases and rounded conical tops they usually The Boston cream pie is a Pie, usually made from two dough layers and cream filling A chocolate chip cookie is a drop cookie from the United States that features Chocolate chips as its distinguishing ingredient The Boston cream pie is a Pie, usually made from two dough layers and cream filling Most American states have made a state fossil designation in many cases during the 1980s. Mastodons or Mastodonts (from Greek μαστός and οδούς, meaning " Nipple tooth" are members of the extinct Not every state has an official state mineral rock stone or gemstone Rhodonite is a Manganese inosilicate, (MnFeMgCaSiO3 and member of the Pyroxene group of Minerals crystallizing in the Not every state has an official state mineral rock stone or gemstone Babingtonite is a Calcium Iron Manganese inosilicate mineral with the formula Ca 2( Fe, Mn)Fe Si See also Lists of US state insignia Not every state has an official state mineral rock stone or gemstone The Roxbury conglomerate, also known as Roxbury puddingstone, is a puddingstone or conglomerate stone once quarried at several locations throughout This is a list of official state shells: See also Lists of US A whelk is one of several Species of large sea Snails marine Gastropod Mollusks found in temperate waters This is a list of official state ships as designated by each state's legislature History Designed by George McClain of Gloucester Massachusetts to withstand North Atlantic gales the Effie M This list of US state slogans is made up the Advertising slogans currently and formerly used by U This is a list of Representative US State Soils. A state soil is a Soil that has special significance to a particular state. Paxton Fine Sandy Loam The Official State Soil of Massachusetts The Paxton soil series was established in Worcester County Massachusetts Introduction Forty-nine states of the United States (all except New Jersey) have one or more state songs, selected by the state "All Hail to Massachusetts" words and music by Arthur J "Massachusetts", words and music by Arlo Guthrie, was made the official Folk song of Massachusetts in July 1981. "The Road to Boston", was made the official Ceremonial March of Massachusetts in 1985. "Massachusetts (Because of You Our Land is Free" words and music by Bernard Davidson was made the official Patriotic song of Massachusetts on October The Great State of Massachusetts words by George A Wells, and music by J "Say Hello to Someone from Massachusetts", was made the official Polka of Massachusetts on October 1 1998. "Ode to Massachusetts", words and music by Joseph Falzone, was designated the official Ode of Massachusetts on November 16, 2000. This is a list of official US state sports as recognized by state legislatures Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m Highways in the United States are split into at least four different types of systems The 50 State Quarters program ( is the release of a series of commemorative coins by the United States Mint. These are lists of US state insignia as designated by tradition or the respective state legislatures: List of U A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government History See also History of New England New England's earliest inhabitants were Algonquian -speaking Native Americans including the The Northeast is a region of the United States. As defined by the U The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Most of its population of 6. 4 million live in the Boston metropolitan area. Greater Boston is the area of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts surrounding the city of Boston Massachusetts. The eastern half of this relatively small state is mostly urban and suburban. South San Jose (cropjpg||thumb|A suburban development in San Jose California. Massachusetts is the most populous of the six New England states and ranks third in overall population density and fourth by GDP per capita.

Massachusetts has been significant throughout American history. This article is a list of the 50 US States ordered by Population density. This article presents a list of US Plymouth was the second permanent English settlement in North America. Colonists from England founded many towns and villages in the present-day territory of Massachusetts very early in the nation's history in the 1620s and 1630s. The Boston area became known as the "Cradle of Liberty" for the ferment there which led to the American Revolution and the independence of the United States from Great Britain. In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" Independence is the Self-government of a Nation, Country, or State by its residents and population or some portion thereof generally exercising The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a State in northwest Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1800 Massachusetts was the first U. S. state to abolish slavery and was a center of the temperance movement and abolitionist activity in the years leading to the American Civil War. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another See also Prohibition, Teetotalism The Temperance Movement attempted to reduce the amount of Alcohol consumed within a community or society in Abolitionism was a political movement of the 18th and 19th century which sought to make Slavery illegal particularly in the United States and British West Indies Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South The state has contributed many prominent politicians to national service, including the Adams family and, more recently, the Kennedy family. The Adams family was a prominent Political family in the United States during the late Eighteenth century through early Twentieth century The Kennedy family are a family descending from the marriage of the Irish-Americans Joseph P

Originally dependent on agriculture and trade with Europe, Massachusetts was transformed into a manufacturing center during the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the Migration of factories to the lower-wage Southern states caused economic stagnation during the first half of the 20th century. The economy of Massachusetts was revived after World War II, and today is prominent in higher education, health care, and high technology. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Higher education is Education that is provided by universities, vocational universities, Community colleges Liberal arts colleges Health care is the prevention treatment and management of illness and the preservation of mental health through the services offered by the medical, Nursing High tech is Technology that is at the cutting edge —the most advanced technology currently available

Name

The Massachusetts Bay Colony was named after the indigenous population, the Massachuset, whose name can be segmented as mass-adchu-s-et, where mass- is "large", -adchu- is "hill", -s- is a diminutive suffix meaning "small", and -et is a locative suffix, identifying a place. The Massachusetts Bay Colony (sometimes called the Massachusetts Bay Company, for the institution that founded it was an English settlement on the east coast of North America This article is about the Native American tribe For the US state see Massachusetts. A diminutive is a formation of a Word used to convey a slight degree of the root meaning smallness of the object or quality named encapsulation intimacy or endearment Locative (also called the seventh case) is a Grammatical case which indicates a location It has been translated as "near the great hill," "by the blue hills" "at the little big hill," or "at the range of hills," referring to the Blue Hills, or in particular, Great Blue Hill, located on the boundary of Milton and Canton, to the southwest of Boston. Blue Hills Reservation is a Massachusetts State park located in Milton, Quincy, Braintree, Canton, Randolph, Great Blue Hill is a hill of 635 feet (194 m located within the Blue Hills Reservation in the eastern part of the U Milton is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States and part of the Greater Boston area Canton is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. ^[4][5][6] (c. f. the Narragansett name Massachusêuck;^[5] Ojibwe misajiwensed, "of the little big hill"). The Massachusett language was a Native American language, a member of the Algonquian language family ^[7]

Massachusetts is officially a "commonwealth. Four of the constituent states of the United States officially designate themselves Commonwealths: Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania " Colloquially, it is often referred to simply as "the Commonwealth," although "state" is used interchangeably. While this designation is part of the state's official name, it has no practical implications. Massachusetts has the same position and powers within the United States as other states and a similar form of internal government.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Massachusetts

Prominent roads and cities in Massachusetts

Massachusetts is bordered on the north by New Hampshire and Vermont; on the west by New York; on the south by Connecticut and Rhode Island; and on the east by the Atlantic Ocean. Massachusetts, the 7th smallest state in the United States, is bordered on the north by New Hampshire and Vermont New Hampshire ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. Vermont ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. Rhode Island ( officially named the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, is a state in the New England region of the United States Most of the state is uplands of resistant metamorphic rock that were scraped by Pleistocene glaciers that deposited moraines and outwash on a large, sandy, arm-shaped peninsula called Cape Cod and the islands Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket to the south of Cape Cod. The Pleistocene ('plaɪstəsin is the epoch from 18 million to 10000 years BP covering the world's recent period Cape Cod (or simply the Cape to most New Englanders is a Peninsula nearly coextensive with Barnstable County Massachusetts and forming the easternmost Martha's Vineyard (adjoining the smaller Chappaquiddick Island) is an Island off the US east coast to the south of Cape Cod, both Upland elevations increase to the north and west and the highest point in the state is Mount Greylock at 3,491 feet (1,064 m) near the state's northwest corner. Mount Greylock 3491 feet (1064 m is the highest point in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and is located in the northwest corner of the state

A portion of the north-central Pioneer Valley near South Deerfield. Pioneer Valley is a region consisting of the three counties that the Connecticut River passes through in Western Massachusetts, and especially those towns South Deerfield is a Census-designated place (CDP in Deerfield, Franklin County Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States.

The uplands are interrupted by the downfaulted Pioneer Valley along the Connecticut River and further west by the Housatonic Valley separating the Berkshire Hills from the Taconic Range along the western border with New York. The Housatonic River is a river approximately 149 mi (240 km long in western Massachusetts and western Connecticut in the United States. Please note that this article on the Berkshires is about a geologic and cultural region in the United States for other uses see Berkshire (disambiguation The Taconic Mountains are a physiographic section of the larger New England province and part of the Appalachian Mountains, running along the eastern border The Geography of New York State varies widely While the state is best known for New York City 's urban atmosphere especially Manhattan 's skyscrapers most

Boston is located at the innermost point of Massachusetts Bay, at the mouth of the Charles River, the longest river entirely within Massachusetts. Massachusetts Bay is one of the large bays of the Atlantic Ocean that form the distinctive shape of the coastline of the U The Charles River is a small relatively short River in Massachusetts, USA, that separates Boston from Cambridge and Most of the population of the Boston metropolitan area (approximately 4. Greater Boston is the area of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts surrounding the city of Boston Massachusetts. 4 million) does not live in the city proper; eastern Massachusetts on the whole is fairly densely populated and largely suburban as far west as Worcester. South San Jose (cropjpg||thumb|A suburban development in San Jose California. Worcester (ˈwʊstɚ is a City in the state of Massachusetts in the United States of America.

Central Massachusetts encompasses Worcester County, and includes the cities of Worcester, Fitchburg, Leominster, Gardner, Southbridge and small upland towns, forests, and small farms. Worcester (ˈwʊstɚ is a City in the state of Massachusetts in the United States of America. Fitchburg is a city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Leominster (pronounced "lemon-ster" is a City in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States Gardner Massachusetts is a city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The Town of Southbridge is a city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The Quabbin Reservoir borders the western side of the county, and is the main water supply for the eastern part of the state. The Quabbin Reservoir is the largest Body of water in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and was built between 1930 and 1939 ^[8][9]

The Pioneer Valley along the Connecticut River in Western Massachusetts is urbanized from the Connecticut border (and greater Hartford) to north as far as Northampton, and includes Springfield, Chicopee, West Springfield, Westfield, and Holyoke. Pioneer Valley is a region consisting of the three counties that the Connecticut River passes through in Western Massachusetts, and especially those towns The Connecticut River is the largest River in New England, flowing south from the Connecticut Lakes in northern New Hampshire, along the border Western Massachusetts is a loosely defined geographical region of the U Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. Northampton is a city in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield is a City in and the County seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Chicopee (ˈtʃɪkəpi is a city located on the Connecticut River in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States of America. The Town of West Springfield is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Westfield is a city in Hampden County, in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, United States. Pioneer Valley economy and population was influenced by agriculturally productive Connecticut River Valley land in the 17th and 18th century, water power for the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century and expansion of higher education in the 20th century. The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the

Massachusetts Terrain

The remainder of the state west of Pioneer Valley is mainly uplands, a range of small mountains known as the Berkshires, summer home to the Boston Symphony Orchestra (Lenox), Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, the Norman Rockwell Museum (Stockbridge), Monument Mountain and Mount Greylock, the highest point in Massachusetts. Terrain, or relief, is the third or vertical dimension of land surface. It largely remained in aboriginal hands until the 18th century when Scotch-Irish settlers arrived and found the more productive lands already settled. Availability of better land in western New York and then the Northwest Territories soon put the upland agricultural population into decline. The Northwest Territories (ˌnɔrθˌwɛstˈtɛrɨtɔriz ( NWT or NT; French, les Territoires du Nord-Ouest) is a territory Available water power led to 19th century settlement along upland rivers. Pittsfield and North Adams grew into small cities and there are a number of smaller mill towns along the Westfield River. North Adams is a city in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The Westfield River in Massachusetts flows through Westfield and empties into the Connecticut River at West Springfield Massachusetts.

The geographic center of the state is in the town of Rutland, in Worcester county. Rutland is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The National Park Service administers a number of natural and historical sites in Massachusetts. The National Park Service ( NPS) is the United States federal agency that manages all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation Some areas in Massachusetts, that are under the control management or sponsorship of the United

The fourteen counties, moving roughly from west to east, are Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden, Worcester, Middlesex, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bristol, Plymouth, Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket. For the Royal County of Berkshire UK see Berkshire Berkshire County is a non-governmental County located on the western Franklin County is a non-governmental County located in the U Hampshire County is a non-governmental County located in the U Hampden County is a non-governmental County located in the Pioneer Valley of the U Worcester County is a non-governmental County located in the U Middlesex County is a County located in the US state of Massachusetts. Essex County is a County located in the northeastern part of the U Suffolk County is a County of Massachusetts. As of 2000 the population was 689807 Norfolk County is a County located in the US state of Massachusetts. Bristol County is a County located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, adjacent to the state of Rhode Island. Plymouth County is a County located in the US state of Massachusetts. Barnstable County is a County located in the US state of Massachusetts, consisting of Cape Cod and associated islands The County of Dukes County is a County located in the US state of Massachusetts. All but two of the Commonwealth's fourteen counties are named for British counties, cities, or nobles.

Climate

Massachusetts has a humid continental climate, with warm summers and cold, snowy winters. The humid continental climate is a Climate found over large areas of land masses in the temperate regions of the mid-latitudes where there is a zone of conflict between Massachusetts receives about 40 inches (1016 mm) of rain annually, fairly evenly distributed throughout the year, slightly wetter during the winter. Summers are warm with average high temperatures in July above 80 °F (26. 7 °C) and overnight lows above 60 °F (15. 5 °C) common throughout the state. Winters are cold, but generally less extreme on the coast with high temperatures in the winter averaging above freezing even in January, although areas further inland are much colder. The state does have extreme temperatures from time to time with 90 °F (32. 2 °C) in the summer and temperatures below 0 °F (-17. 8 °C) in the winter not being unusual.

The state has its share of extreme weather, prone to nor'easters and to severe winter storms. A nor'easter (also northeaster; see below is a macro-scale Storm along the East Coast of the United States and Atlantic Canada. Summers can bring thunderstorms, averaging around 30 days of thunderstorm activity per year. Massachusetts has had its share of destructive tornadoes, with the western part of the state slightly more vulnerable than coastal areas in the east. Massachusetts, like the entire United States eastern seaboard, is vulnerable to hurricanes. A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a low pressure center and numerous Thunderstorms that produce strong winds and Flooding Because its location is farther east in the Atlantic Ocean than states farther south, Massachusetts has suffered a direct hit from a major hurricane three times since 1851, the same number of direct hits suffered by the southern Atlantic state of Georgia. The State of Georgia ( is a state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule ^[10] More often hurricanes weakened to tropical storm strength pass near Massachusetts. A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a low pressure center and numerous Thunderstorms that produce strong winds and Flooding

Flora and fauna

The primary biome of inland Massachusetts is temperate deciduous forest. A biome is a climatically and geographically defined area of ecologically similar climatic conditions such as communities of Plants Animals and The Temperate deciduous forest is a Biome found in the eastern United States, Canada, central Mexico, southern South America, However, much of the state has been logged, leaving only traces of old growth forest in isolated pockets. Ancient Woodland Old growth forest, (also termed primary forest, ancient forest, virgin forest, primeval forest, frontier Secondary growth has regenerated in many woodlots and forests, particularly in the western half of Massachusetts. A woodlot is term used in North America to refer to a segment of a Woodland or Forest capable of small-scale production of forest products such as A forest is an area with a high density of Trees There are many definitions of a forest based on various criteria Urbanization, particularly in the eastern half of the state, has affected much of Massachusetts. Urbanizationn (also spelled urbanisation) is the physical growth of Urban areas into rural or natural land as a result of population in-migration to an existing No longer are there vast expanses of wilderness. Gray Wolf, Elk, Wolverine and Mountain Lion once occurred here but have long since disappeared. The grey wolf or gray wolf ( Canis lupus) also known as the timber wolf or simply wolf, is a Mammal of the order Carnivora The elk, or wapiti ( Cervus canadensis) is one of the largest Species of Deer in the world and one of the largest Mammals in The cougar ( Puma concolor) also puma, mountain lion, or panther, depending on region is a Mammal of the Felidae family

Piping Plover frequent Massachusetts dunes and beaches

Wildlife species that are doing well are adapting to a changing setting. Coyote, White-tailed Deer, Raccoon, and Wild Turkey are now found in suburbs of major cities and are increasing in population. The coyote (kaɪˈoʊti ˈkaɪoʊt ( Canis latrans) also known as the prairie wolf, is a Mammal of the order Carnivora The White-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus) also known as the Virginia deer, or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized Deer found throughout The raccoon ( Procyon lotor) (sometimes spelt as racoon) also known as the common raccoon, North American raccoon, northern raccoon The Wild Turkey ( Meleagris gallopavo) is native to North America and is the heaviest member of the Galliformes. Black Bear and moose have made comebacks in western and central Massachusetts, and are slowly expanding their range. The American Black Bear ( Ursus americanus) is the most common Bear Species native to North America. The moose (North America or elk (Europe Alces alces, is the largest extant Species in the Deer family. Peregrine Falcon can be found nesting on artificial platforms on many of the state's tallest buildings in larger cities such as Boston, Worcester and Springfield. The Peregrine Falcon ( Falco peregrinus) also known simply as the Peregrine, and historically as the "Duck Hawk" in North America is a Worcester (ˈwʊstɚ is a City in the state of Massachusetts in the United States of America. Springfield is a City in and the County seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States.

The Atlantic Flyway is the primary migration route for North American bird species. The Atlantic Flyway is a Bird migration route that generally follows the Atlantic Coast of North America and the Appalachian Mountains. Common Loon are a relatively recent addition to the breeding bird list, their nests at the Wachusett Reservoir are considered the most southerly in the world population of this species. The Great Northern Diver, known in North America as the Common Loon ( Gavia immer) is a large member of the Loon, or diver Family The Wachusett Reservoir is the second largest body of water in the state of Massachusetts. A significant portion of the eastern population of Long-tailed Duck winter off Nantucket. The Long-tailed Duck ( Clangula hyemalis) is a medium-sized Sea duck. Small offshore islands are home to a significant population of breeding Roseate Terns, and some beaches are important breeding areas to the endangered Piping Plover. The Roseate Tern ( Sterna dougallii) is a Seabird of the Tern family Sternidae The Piping Plover ( Charadrius melodus) is a small Plover. The Piping Plover is a sand-colored sparrow-sized shorebird that nests and feeds along coastal

North Atlantic Right Whale

Massachusetts has an extensive coastline and has a declining commercial fishery out to the continental shelf. The coast is defined as the part of the land adjoining or near the Ocean. The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each Continent and associated Coastal plain, which is covered during interglacial periods such Atlantic cod, haddock and American lobster are species harvested here. The Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, is a well-known Demersal food fish belonging to the family Gadidae. The haddock or offshore hake is a marine Fish distributed on both sides of the North Atlantic. The American lobster, Homarus americanus, is one Species of Lobster found on the Atlantic coast of North America. Gray Seal have a large nursery near Monomoy Island and other islands in Nantucket Sound. Monomoy Island is an 8 mile (13 km long spit of sand extending southwest from Chatham, Cape Cod off the Massachusetts mainland Nantucket Sound is a roughly triangular area of the Atlantic Ocean offshore from the U Harbor seals are commonly seen feeding and playing just offshore year round. Finally, a significant number of the endangered North Atlantic Right Whales summer on feeding grounds in Cape Cod Bay. The North Atlantic Right Whale ( Eubalaena glacialis) is a Baleen whale, one of three Right whale species belonging to the genus Eubalaena Cape Cod Bay is a large bay of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to the U Whale watching is a popular summer activity off the coast of Massachusetts. Whale watching is the practice of observing Whales and other Cetaceans in their natural habitat Boats regularly sail to Stellwagen Bank to view species such as Humpback Whale, Fin Whale, Minke Whale and Atlantic White-sided Dolphin. Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary is an 842-square-mile (638-square- nautical-mile) federally protected Marine sanctuary located at the mouth of Massachusetts The humpback whale ( Megaptera novaeangliae) is a Baleen Whale. Minke Whale ( or Lesser Rorqual is a name given to two species of Marine mammal belonging to a Clade within the suborder of Baleen whales The The Atlantic White-sided Dolphin ( Lagenorhynchus acutus) is a distinctively coloured Dolphin found in the cool to temperate waters of the North Atlantic Ocean

Geology

A field guide to the geology of NE Massachusetts and SE New Hampshire by Hon, R. , Hepburn, J. C. & Laird, Jo. (Siluro-Devonian igneous rocks of the easternmost three terranes in southeastern New England: examples from NE Massachusetts and SE New Hampshire. Guidbook to field trips in New Hampshire, adjacent Maine and Massachusetts, 42nd Ann Meet. NEGSA, March 11, 2007, p. 23–43) can be accessed at Field GuidePDF (3. 60 MB); and a Google Earth . kmz file(Avalon_Nashoba. kmz)showing the field stops and associated geological map overlays can be downloaded from Google Earth.

History

Main article: History of Massachusetts

Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor by William Halsall (1882)

Massachusetts was originally inhabited by several Algonquian tribes: the Wampanoag, Nauset, Nipmuc, Pocomtuc, Pennacook, Mahican, Massachuset, and some Narragansett and Pequot. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts was created in the late 1700s The Nauset tribe sometimes referred to as the Cape Cod Indians lived in what is present-day Cape Cod Massachusetts living east of Bass River and lands occupied by their closely The Nipmuc (also spelled Nipmuck) are a group of Algonquian Indians native to Worcester County Massachusetts. The Pocomtuc, also Pocumtuck or Deerfield Indians, were a Native American tribe formerly inhabiting Western Massachusetts, especially around The Pennacook, or Merrimack, tribe were a people that formerly inhabited the Merrimack River Valley of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and portions Mohican redirects here For other uses of Mohican see Mohican (disambiguation The Mahicans (also Mohicans) are a This article is about the Native American tribe For the US state see Massachusetts. See Main articles Mashantucket Pequot Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation. A vast number of the indigenous people were killed by waves of smallpox inadvertently brought to the New World by Sir Herbert Popham and his ship to the Saco, Maine area in 1616. Smallpox is an Infectious disease unique to humans caused by either of two virus variants named Variola major and Variola minor. Saco is a city in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 16822 at the 2000 census The State of Maine ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean

The first European settlers in Massachusetts, the Pilgrims, established their settlement at Plymouth in 1620, and developed friendly relations with the native Wampanoag. Pilgrims, or Pilgrim Fathers (or Pilgrim Mothers) is a name commonly applied to the early settlers of the Plymouth Colony in present-day Plymouth This was the second successful permanent English colony in North America, after the Jamestown Colony; both were preceded by temporary camps, the unsuccessful Popham Colony, and Spanish settlements in Florida in the 1500s. Jamestown, located on Jamestown Island in the Virginia Colony, was founded on May 14 1607 The Popham Colony (also known as the Sagadahoc Colony) was a short-lived English colonial settlement in North America that was founded in 1607 and Most early settlers came from within 60 miles (100 km) of Haverhill, England. Haverhill is an industrial market town in the county of Suffolk, England, next to the borders of Essex and Cambridgeshire. The Pilgrims were soon followed by more Puritans who established the Massachusetts Bay Colony at present-day Boston in 1630. A Puritan of 16th and 17th century England was an associate of any number of religious groups advocating for more "purity" of Worship and Doctrine, The Massachusetts Bay Colony (sometimes called the Massachusetts Bay Company, for the institution that founded it was an English settlement on the east coast of North America The Puritans, whose beliefs included exclusive understanding of the literal truth of the Bible, came to Massachusetts for religious freedom. Dissenters such as Anne Hutchinson, Roger Williams, and Thomas Hooker left Massachusetts because of the Puritan society's lack of religious tolerance. Anne Hutchinson ( July 20, 1591 – August 20, 1643) was the unauthorized Puritan minister of a dissident church discussion Roger Williams ( December 21, 1603 &ndash April 1, 1683) was an English theologian, a notable proponent of Religious Thomas Hooker ( July 5 1586 &ndash July 7 1647) was a prominent Puritan religious and colonial leader remembered as probably the Williams founded the colony of Rhode Island, and Hooker founded Connecticut. Rhode Island ( officially named the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, is a state in the New England region of the United States Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America.

By 1636, the colonists had begun to settle the inland Pioneer Valley along the Connecticut River, where the state's best agricultural land is concentrated. Pioneer Valley is a region consisting of the three counties that the Connecticut River passes through in Western Massachusetts, and especially those towns The Connecticut River is the largest River in New England, flowing south from the Connecticut Lakes in northern New Hampshire, along the border Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture

Native American-European racial tensions led to King Philip's War of the years 1675–76. King Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom 's War or Metacom's Rebellion was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of Mendon was involved in an early battle in July of 1675 and settlers were killed in the Blackstone Valley. Mendon is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The Blackstone Valley or Blackstone River Valley is a region of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. There were major campaigns in this war in the Pioneer Valley and Plymouth Colony. Pioneer Valley is a region consisting of the three counties that the Connecticut River passes through in Western Massachusetts, and especially those towns Plymouth Colony (sometimes New Plymouth or The Old Colony) was an English colonial venture in North America from 1620 until 1691 In 1690 there was an unsuccessful expedition against French Quebec under William Phips. The Battle of Quebec was fought in October 1690 between the colonies of New France and Massachusetts, at the time subject to France and England respectively Sir William Phips (or Phipps) ( February 2, 1651 February 18, 1695) was a colonial governor of Massachusetts. Massachusetts became a single colony in 1692, the largest in New England, and one where many American institutions and traditions were formed. History See also History of New England New England's earliest inhabitants were Algonquian -speaking Native Americans including the The colony fought alongside British regulars in a series of French and Indian Wars that were characterized by brutal border raids and successful attacks on British forces in New France (present-day Canada). The French and Indian Wars is a name used in the United States for a series of conflicts in North America that represented the actions there that accompanied The Viceroyalty of New France (Nouvelle-France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period extending from the exploration of the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page

Percy's Rescue at Lexington by Ralph Earl and Amos Doolittle from 1775. Ralph Earl ( May 11, 1751 - August 16, 1801) was an American historical and portrait painter

Massachusetts was a center of the movement for independence from Great Britain, earning it the nickname, the "Cradle of Liberty". See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands Colonists here had long had uneasy relations with the English monarchy, including open rebellion under the Dominion of New England in the 1680s. The Dominion of New England in America (1686-1689 was a short-lived administrative union of English colonies in the New England region of North America

The Boston Tea Party is an example of the protest spirit of the later pre-revolutionary period in the 1770s, and the Boston Massacre is a famous incident which escalated the conflict. The Boston Tea Party was an act of Direct action protest by the American colonists against the British Government in which they destroyed many This article is about the 1770 incident The Boston Massacre is also used colloquially to describe portions of a Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. With actions by patriots such as Sam Adams and John Hancock followed by counter-actions by the Crown were a main reason for the unity of the Thirteen Colonies and the outbreak of the American Revolution. Samuel Adams ( – October 2 1803 was an American Statesman, Politician, Writer and political philosopher, brewer John Hancock ( October 8 1793 was a Massachusetts merchant and prominent patriot of the American Revolution. The Thirteen Colonies were part of what became known as British America, a name that was used by Great Britain until the Treaty of Paris (1783 recognized the In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" The Battles of Lexington and Concord initiated the American Revolutionary War and were fought in the Massachusetts towns of Concord and Lexington. The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" Concord is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. Lexington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States.

After independence and during the formative years of independent American government, Shays' Rebellion was an armed uprising in the western half of the state from 1786 to 1787. Shays' Rebellion was an armed uprising in Central and Western Massachusetts from 1786 to 1787 Rebellion is a refusal of obedienceIt may therefore be seen as encompassing a range of Behaviours from Civil disobedience and mass Nonviolent resistance The rebels were mostly small farmers angered by crushing war debt and taxes which resulted from their lack of representation in Congress.

On March 15, 1820, Maine separated from Massachusetts, of which it had been a non-contiguous part, and entered the Union as the 23rd state as a result of the ratification of the Missouri Compromise. Events 44 BC - Julius Caesar, Dictator of the Roman Republic, is stabbed to death by Marcus Junius Brutus, Year 1820 ( MDCCCXX) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year The State of Maine ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean The Missouri Compromise was an agreement passed in 1820 between the pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in the United States Congress, involving ^[11]

During the 19th century, Massachusetts became a national and world leader in the Industrial Revolution, with its mastery of machine tools and textiles. The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the The economy transformed from primarily agricultural to manufacturing, making use of its many rivers to power factories for shoes, furniture, and clothing that drew labor from Yankees on subsistence farms at first, and later drew upon immigrant labor from Europe. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture A shoe is an item of Footwear. Shoes may vary from a simple Flip-flop to a complex Boot. Furniture is the Mass noun for the movable objects which may support the human body (seating furniture and beds, provide storage or hold objects on horizontal Clothing (also called clothes, accoutrements, accouterments, or habiliments) protects the Human body from extreme Weather The term Yankee, sometimes abbreviated to Yank, has a few related meanings often referring to someone of U American immigration ( emigration to the United States of America) refers to the movement of non-residents to the United States.

Horace Mann made the state system of schools the national model. This article is about an early leader in education for the private school located in New York City see Horace Mann School. Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson made major contributions to American thought. Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25 1803 &ndash April 27 1882 was an American essayist philosopher poet and leader of the Transcendentalist movement in the early 19th century Members of the Trancendentalism movement, they emphasized the importance of the natural world to humanity. Transcendentalism was a group of new ideas in Literature, Religion, Culture, and Philosophy that emerged in New England in the

In the years leading up to the Civil War, Massachusetts was a center of social progressivism, the temperance movement, and abolitionist activity within the United States. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South Social progressivism is the view that social Mores, Human nature, and Morality are capable of progress through history in a manner similar to that of scientific See also Prohibition, Teetotalism The Temperance Movement attempted to reduce the amount of Alcohol consumed within a community or society in Abolitionism was a political movement of the 18th and 19th century which sought to make Slavery illegal particularly in the United States and British West Indies Antagonism to their views resulted in anti-abolitionist riots in Massachusetts between 1835 and 1837. The works of abolitionists contributed to subsequent actions of the state during the Civil War. Massachusetts was the first U. S. state to abolish slavery, in a 1783 judicial interpretation of its 1780 constitution, and was the first state to recruit, train, and arm a Black regiment with White officers, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa White People is the second album by Handsome Boy Modeling School. The 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, an Infantry Regiment that fought in the American Civil War, was one of the first official black

Alexander Graham Bell invented his telephone in Boston in 1876. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Basic principle A traditional landline telephone system also known as "plain old telephone service" (POTS, commonly handles both signaling and audio information

The industrial economy declined in the early twentieth century with the exodus of many manufacturing companies. By the 1920s low-wage competition from the South, followed by the Great Depression, led to the collapse of Massachusetts' two main industries, shoes and textiles. In the years following World War II, Massachusetts was transformed from a factory system to a largely service and high-tech based economy. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

Government contracts, private investment, and research facilities led to a new and improved industrial climate, with reduced unemployment and increased per capita income. Suburbanization flourished, and by the 1970s, the Route 128 corridor was dotted with high-technology companies who recruited graduates of the area's many elite institutions of higher education. Suburbanization (or suburbanisation) is a term used to describe the process of population movement from within towns and cities to the rural-urban fringe Route 128, also known as the Yankee Division Highway (for the 26th Infantry Division) and originally the Circumferential Highway, is a partial High tech is Technology that is at the cutting edge —the most advanced technology currently available

The Kennedy family was prominent in Massachusetts politics in the 20th century, especially with President John F. Kennedy in the 1960s. The Kennedy family are a family descending from the marriage of the Irish-Americans Joseph P John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy (May 29 1917&ndashNovember 22 1963 often referred to by his initials JFK, was the thirty-fifth President of

In 1987, the state received federal funding for the $14. 6 billion Central Artery/Tunnel Project. Known colloquially as the "the Big Dig," it was at the time the biggest federal highway project ever approved. The Big Dig is the unofficial name of the Central Artery/Tunnel Project ( CA/T) a Megaproject that rerouted the As of 2007, the highway is open but landscaping is still underway.

In 2004, Massachusetts became the first state in the country to introduce same-sex marriage. Same-sex marriage in the US state of Massachusetts began on May 17, 2004, as a result of the Supreme Judicial Court

Demographics

Population

Massachusetts had an estimated 2006 population of 6,437,193. An estimated increase of 3,826, or 0. 1%, from the prior year and an increase of 88,088, or 1. 4%, since the year 2000. This includes an increase since the last census of 149,992 people (499,440 births minus 349,448 deaths) and a decrease from net migration of 89,812 people out of the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 200,155 people, and net migration within the country resulted in a loss of 289,967 people. As of 2000, Massachusetts is the third most densely populated U.S. state, with 809. This article is a list of the 50 US States ordered by Population density. 8 per square mile (312. 68 per square kilometer), after New Jersey and Rhode Island, and ahead of Connecticut and Maryland

Massachusetts has seen both population increases and decreases in recent years. New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. Rhode Island ( officially named the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, is a state in the New England region of the United States Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. For example, while some Bay Staters are leaving, others including Asian, Hispanic and African immigrants, arrive to replace them. Massachusetts in 2004 included 881,400 foreign-born residents.

Most Bay Staters live within a 60 mile radius of the State House on Beacon Hill, often called Greater Boston: the City of Boston, neighboring cities and towns, the North Shore, South Shore, the northern, western, and southern suburbs, and most of southeastern and central Massachusetts. Greater Boston is the area of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts surrounding the city of Boston Massachusetts. North Shore is a Region north of Boston, consisting chiefly of communities in Essex County along Massachusetts Bay. South Shore of Massachusetts is a geographic region stretching South and East from Boston along the Shore of Massachusetts Bay Eastern Massachusetts is more urban than Western Massachusetts, which is primarily rural, save for the cities of Springfield, Chicopee, and Northampton, which serve as centers of population density in the Pioneer Valley of the Connecticut River. Western Massachusetts is a loosely defined geographical region of the U Springfield is a City in and the County seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Chicopee (ˈtʃɪkəpi is a city located on the Connecticut River in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States of America. Northampton is a city in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The center of population of Massachusetts is located in Middlesex County, in the town of Natick. In Demographics, the center of population of a region is the geographical point nearest to all the inhabitants of that region on average Middlesex County is a County located in the US state of Massachusetts. Natick (Pronunciation ˈneɪtɪk is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. ^[15]

Massachusetts Population Density Map

Race, ancestry, and language

The five largest reported ancestries in Massachusetts are: Irish (23. Irish Americans (Gael-Mheiriceánach are citizens of the United States who can claim ancestry originating in Ireland. 5%), Italian (13. An Italian American is an American of Italian descent and/or dual citizenship 5%), French/French Canadian (or Franco-American) (12. French Americans or Franco-Americans are citizens or permanent residents of the United States of French descent French Americans or Franco-Americans are citizens or permanent residents of the United States of French descent 9%), English (11. English Americans (occasionally known as Anglo -Americans although this may have a wider cultural meaning are Citizens of the United States whose ancestry 4%), German (5. German Americans ( German: Deutschamerikaner) are citizens of the United States of Ethnic German ancestry 9%).

The Irish are by far the largest and most influential ethnic group in the state. Massachusetts is also the most Irish state in the country in terms of percentage of total population. Massachusetts also has large communities of people of Finnish and Swedish descent; Armenian, Lebanese (Worcester) descent; and Italian descent. Finnish Americans are Americans of Finnish descent who currently number about 700000 Swedish Americans are Americans of Swedish descent most often related to the large groups of immigrants from Sweden in the late nineteenth century and early Lebanese Americans are American citizens of Lebanese descent This includes both those who are native to the United States as well as Lebanese immigrants An Italian American is an American of Italian descent and/or dual citizenship Other influential ethnicities are Greek Americans, Lithuanian Americans and Polish Americans. A Greek American (Ελληνοαμερικανοί Ellinoamerikani) is a citizen of the United States, who is of Greek heritage or origin Lithuanian Americans are Citizens of the United States who are of Lithuanian ancestry A Polish American is an American citizen of Polish descent There are an estimated 10 million Americans of Polish descent Massachusetts "Yankees," of colonial English ancestry, still have a strong presence. The term Yankee, sometimes abbreviated to Yank, has a few related meanings often referring to someone of U French Americans are the largest group in parts of western and central Massachusetts. French Americans or Franco-Americans are citizens or permanent residents of the United States of French descent Boston has a large African American population, and its largest immigrant group consists of Haitians. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa Haiti ( English: ˈheɪ·tiː or haɪ·ˈjiː·tiː French Haïti a·i·ti Haitian Creole: Fall River and New Bedford on the south coast have large populations of people with Portuguese, Brazilian, and Cape Verdean heritage, which is also very prevalent in the Brockton area. Portuguese Americans are Citizens of the United States whose ancestry originates in the southwest European nation of Portugal, including the A Brazilian American refers to immigrants from Brazil or Americans of Brazilian ancestry Cape Verdean immigration to the United States began in the early 1800s Brockton is a city in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. There is a growing Brazilian population in the Boston area (especially in Framingham) and also an abundant population of Brazilians thrive in Cape Cod especially in Barnstable, Falmouth, and Yarmouth. Framingham is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Cape Cod (or simply the Cape to most New Englanders is a Peninsula nearly coextensive with Barnstable County Massachusetts and forming the easternmost Barnstable is a city referred to as the Town of Barnstable, in the U Falmouth is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States; Barnstable County is coextensive with Cape Cod. There are other places named Yarmouth. Yarmouth is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Lowell, in the northeast of the state, is home to the second largest Cambodian (Khmer) community in the country, outside of Long Beach, California. Lowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. As of the 2000 census the city had a total population of 105167 A Cambodian American is an American who is of ethnic Khmer descent or more broadly having ancestors from Cambodia. Long Beach is a city located in southern California, USA, on the Pacific coast California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Although most of the Native Americans intermarried or died in King Philip's War (1675), the Wampanoag tribe maintains reservations at Aquinnah, Grafton, on Martha's Vineyard, and Mashpee. Aquinnah is a town located on the island of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. Mashpee is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. ^[16][17] The Nipmuck maintain two state-recognized reservations in the central part of the state. The Nipmuc (also spelled Nipmuck) are a group of Algonquian Indians native to Worcester County Massachusetts. Other Wampanoags and other Native people live scattered around the state outside of reservations.

According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 6. 21% of the population aged 5 and over speak Spanish at home, while 2. 68% speak Portuguese, 1. Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. 44% French, and 1. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people 00% Italian. Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. ^[18]

Religion

Massachusetts was founded and settled by staunch Puritans in the 17th century. A Puritan of 16th and 17th century England was an associate of any number of religious groups advocating for more "purity" of Worship and Doctrine, The descendants of the Puritans belong to many different churches; in the direct line of inheritance are the Congregational/United Church of Christ and Unitarian Universalist churches. Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently The United Church of Christ ( UCC) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination principally in the United States, Unitarian Universalism ( UUism) is a theologically liberal Religion characterized by its support for a "free and responsible search for truth Both of these denominations are noted for their strong support of social justice, civil rights, and moral issues, including strong and early advocacy of abolition of slavery, women's rights, and (after 2000) legal recognition of same-sex marriage. The world headquarters of the Unitarian-Universalist Church is located on Beacon Hill in Boston. Today Protestants make up less than 1/3 of the state's population. Roman Catholics now predominate because of massive immigration from Ireland, Quebec, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Quebec (kwɨˈbɛk Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} The Dominican Republic ( Spanish: República Dominicana;) is a nation located in the Caribbean region and shares the island of Hispaniola with A large Jewish population came to the Boston area 1880–1920. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Mary Baker Eddy made the Boston Mother Church of Christian Science the world headquarters. Mary Baker Eddy (born Mary Morse Baker July 16, 1821 &ndash December 3, 1910) was the founder of the Christian Science Christian Science is believed by its supporters to be a system of spiritually scientific truths which are summed up in the two commandments having one God one Mind one Life Truth Buddhists, Pagans, Hindus, Seventh-Day Adventists, Muslims, and Mormons also can be found. Kripalu and the Insight Meditation Center (Barre) are examples of non-western religious centers in Massachusetts.

The religious affiliations of the people of Massachusetts, according to a 2001 survey, are shown in the table below:^[19]

• Christian – 69%
  • Catholic – 44%
  • Protestant – 22%
    • Baptist – 4%
    • Congregational/United Church of Christ – 3%
    • Episcopal – 3%
    • Methodist – 2%
    • Pentecostal – 2%
    • Other Protestant or general Protestant – 8%
  • Other or General Christian – 3%
• Jewish – 2%
• Other Religions – 6%
• Non-Religious – 16%
• Refused to answer – 7%

Emigration and Immigration

The latest (2007) estimated Census population figures show that Massachusetts has grown by slightly over 1 percent, to 6,449,755, since 2000. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently The United Church of Christ ( UCC) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination principally in the United States, The Episcopal Church is the official name of the Province of the Anglican Communion in the United States. Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations Pentecostalism is a renewalist religious movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on the direct personal experience of God through the Baptism Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut ^[20] This slow growth is likely attributable to the fact that Massachusetts continues to attract top scholars and researchers from across the United States as well as large numbers of immigrants, combined with steady emigration away from the state towards New Hampshire and southern and western regions of the U. Immigration refers to the movement of people among countries While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels modern immigration implies long-term New Hampshire ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. S. because of high housing costs, taxes, weather, and traffic.

Recent census data shows that the number of immigrants living in Massachusetts has increased over 15% from 2000–2005. A census is the procedure of acquiring information about every member of a given population The biggest influxes are Latin Americans. According to the census, the population of Central Americans rose by 67. 7 percent between 2000 and 2005, and the number of South Americans rose by 107. 5 percent. And among South Americans, the largest group to increase appeared to be Brazilians, whose numbers rose by 131. 4 percent, to 84,836. This surge of immigrants tends to offset emigration, and, of course, given the 350,000 increase in population in the Commonwealth between 1990 and 2000, many immigrants to Massachusetts come from elsewhere in the USA. "Emigrant" redirects here For the Butterflies, see Catopsilia.

Following the shift to a high-tech economy and the numerous factory closures, few jobs remain for low skilled male workers, who are dropping out of the workforce in large numbers. The percentage of men in the labor force fell from 77. 7% in 1989 to 72. 8% in 2005. This national trend is most pronounced in Massachusetts. In the case of men without high school diplomas, 10% have left the labor force between 1990 and 2000. ^[21]

Economy

Crane Paper Company in Dalton produces the paper material used for printing U. Crane & Co, based in Dalton Massachusetts, is a manufacturer of principally cotton-based paper products used in the printing of national currencies passports and banknotes Dalton is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States.  S. Federal Reserve notes

The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that Massachusetts's gross state product in 2006 was US $338 billion. Per capita personal income in 2004 was US$42,102, making it the 2nd highest, just behind that of Connecticut. Gross state product increased 2. 6% from 2004 to 2005, below the national average of 3. 5%. ^[22]

Sectors vital to the Massachusetts economy include higher education, biotechnology, finance, health care, financial services and tourism. Economics is the social science that studies the production distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Higher education is Education that is provided by universities, vocational universities, Community colleges Liberal arts colleges Health care is the prevention treatment and management of illness and the preservation of mental health through the services offered by the medical, Nursing Financial services refer to services provided by the finance industry. Route 128 was a main center for the development of minicomputers. A minicomputer (colloquially mini) is a class of multi-user Computers that lies in the middle range of the computing spectrum in between the largest Multi-user Massachusetts was the home of many of the largest computer companies such as Digital Equipment Corporation, Data General, and Wang Laboratories situated around Route 128 and Route 495 (another beltway approximately 25 miles (40 km) farther away from Boston). Digital Equipment Corporation was a pioneering American company in the Computer industry Data General was one of the first Minicomputer firms from the late 1960s Wang Laboratories was a computer company founded in 1951 by Dr Most of the larger companies fell into decline after the rise of the personal computer, which was based in large part on software such as Visicalc and Lotus 1-2-3 and hardware technology such as memory and operating systems developed by many of these companies. VisiCalc was the first Spreadsheet program available for personal computers Lotus 1-2-3 is a Spreadsheet program from Lotus Software (now part of IBM) High technology remains an important sector, though few of the largest technology companies are based there.

Its agricultural outputs are seafood, nursery stock, dairy products, cranberries, tobacco and vegetables. Its industrial outputs are machinery, electrical and electronic equipment, scientific instruments, printing, and publishing. Thanks largely to the Ocean Spray cooperative, Massachusetts is the second largest cranberry producing state in the union (after Wisconsin). Ocean Spray is an agricultural Cooperative of growers of cranberries and Grapefruit headquartered in Middleborough / Lakeville, Wisconsin ( or wɪˈskɑnsɨn (French Ouisconsin) is one of the fifty United States of America, located in the north central part of the United States

As of 2005, there were 6,100 farms in Massachusetts encompassing a total of 520,000 acres (2,100 km²), averaging 85 acres apiece. Almost 2,300 of Massachusetts' 6,100 farms grossed under $2,500 in 2007. This very low mode income shows that most farms in Massachusetts are not the primary sources of income for their owners. ^[23] Particular agricultural products of note include tobacco; animals and animal products; and fruits, tree nuts, and berries, for which the state is nationally ranked 11th, 17th, and 16th, respectively. Tobacco is an Agricultural product recognized as an addictive drug processed from the fresh Leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. ^[24]

Massachusetts has a flat-rate personal income tax of 5. 3%, with an exemption for income below a threshold that varies from year to year. The state imposes a 5% sales tax on retail sales of tangible personal property—except for groceries, clothing, and periodicals—in Massachusetts by any vendor. A sales tax is a Consumption tax charged at the Point of purchase for certain goods and services The 5% sales tax is charged on clothing that costs more than $150. 00. Only the amount over $150. 00 is taxed. All real and tangible personal property located within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is taxable unless specifically exempted by statute. Personal property is a type of Property. In the Common law systems personal property may also be called chattels or personalty. The administration of the assessment and collection of all real and tangible personal property taxes in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is handled by the city and town assessor and collected in the jurisdiction where the property is located. Property tax, or millage tax, is an Ad valorem tax that an owner pays on the value of the property being taxed Massachusetts imposes a tax on any gains from the sale or exchange of capital assets held for more than one year. The state also collects a 12% tax on the sale or exchange of capital assets held for one year or less (short-term capital gains). Interest from non-Massachusetts banks is no longer taxed at 12%, but the first $100 of interest from Massachusetts banks is tax exempt from even the 5. 3% tax. There is no inheritance tax and limited Massachusetts estate tax related to federal estate tax collection. Estate tax and Death duty redirect here Inheritance tax, estate tax and death duty are the names given to various taxes which Estate tax and Death duty redirect here Inheritance tax, estate tax and death duty are the names given to various taxes which ^[25]

A recent review by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found 13 states, including several of the nation's largest, face budget shortfalls for FY2009. Massachusetts faces a deficit that could be as large as $1. A budget deficit occurs when an Entity (often a Government) spends more Money than it takes in 2 billion. ^[26][27]

See also: Massachusetts locations by per capita income

Transportation

See also: Category:Transportation in Massachusetts

Aviation

The major airport in the state is Logan International Airport. Massachusetts is the third richest state in the United States of America, with a Per capita income of $25952 (2000 and a Personal per capita income of The airport serves as a focus city for American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, US Airways, and JetBlue Airways. In the Airline industry a focus city is a location that is not a hub, but from which the airline has non-stop flights to several destinations other than its hubs American Airlines Inc (AA is a US -based airline and the world's Largest airline in total passenger miles transported and passenger fleet size Delta Air Lines Inc ( is a United States Airline based and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. US Airways Inc is the fifth largest Airline in the United States.

Road

Interstate highways crossing the state include: I-91, I-291, I-84, I-93, I-95, I-495, I-195, I-395, I-90 (the Massachusetts Turnpike), I-290, and I-190 . Interstate 91 (abbreviated I-91) is an Interstate highway in the New England section of the United States. Interstate 291 (abbreviated I-291, formerly known as the Springfield Expressway) is a 5 Interstate 84 (abbreviated I-84) is an Interstate highway extending from Dunmore Pennsylvania (near Scranton Pennsylvania) at an intersection Interstate 93 (abbreviated I-93) is an Interstate highway in the New England section of the United States. Interstate 95 is a highway 92 miles in length in the state of Massachusetts. Interstate 495 (abbreviated I-495) is the designation of an Interstate highway half- Beltway in Massachusetts. Interstate 195 (abbreviated I-195) is an Interstate highway running a combined 40 Interstate 90 (I-90 is the longest interstate highway in the United States at nearly 3100 miles (5000 kilometers The Massachusetts Turnpike (commonly shortened to the MassPike or The Pike) is the easternmost 138-mile (222 km stretch of Interstate 90. Interstate 290 (abbreviated I-290) runs for 2016 miles from Auburn Massachusetts to Marlboro Massachusetts. Interstate 190 (abbreviated I-190) runs for 1926 miles north from I-290 in Worcester Massachusetts to Route 2 in Leominster Massachusetts Other major thoroughfares are U.S. Route 1, Route 2, Route 3, U.S. Route 3, U.S. Route 6, U.S. Route 20, Route 24, and Route 128. US Route 1 (US 1 is a major north-south US Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. Route 2 is a major east-west State highway in Massachusetts. Along with Route 9 and Route 20 to the South these highways are the main alternatives For the US Route that continues (State Route 3 north into New Hampshire, see U US Route 6, also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, is a main route of the U US Route 20 is an east-west United States highway. As the "0" in its route number implies U Route 24 is a Freeway south of I-93 in southeastern Massachusetts, linking Fall River with the Boston Metropolitan area Route 128, also known as the Yankee Division Highway (for the 26th Infantry Division) and originally the Circumferential Highway, is a partial A massive undertaking to depress I-93 in the Boston downtown area called the Big Dig has brought the city's highway system under public scrutiny over the last decade. Interstate 93 (abbreviated I-93) is an Interstate highway in the New England section of the United States. Downtown is a term primarily used in North America to refer to a city's core usually in a geographical commercial and community sense The Big Dig is the unofficial name of the Central Artery/Tunnel Project ( CA/T) a Megaproject that rerouted the

Transit

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) operates public transportation in the form of subway, bus and ferry systems in the Metro Boston area. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority ( MBTA) is "a body politic and corporate and a political subdivision" of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway or metro(politan system is an electric passenger railway See also Merchant ship A ferry is a form of transport usually a Boat or Ship, used to carry (or ferry) passengers and Greater Boston is the area of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts surrounding the city of Boston Massachusetts. It also operates longer distance commuter rail services throughout the larger Greater Boston area, including service to Worcester and Providence, Rhode Island. Commuter rail, regional rail or suburban rail is a Passenger rail transport service between a city center and outer suburbs and Commuter towns Greater Boston is the area of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts surrounding the city of Boston Massachusetts. Worcester (ˈwʊstɚ is a City in the state of Massachusetts in the United States of America. Rhode Island ( officially named the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, is a state in the New England region of the United States

Fifteen other regional transit authorities provide public transportation in the form of bus services in their local communities. The regional transit authorities are:^[28]

• Berkshire Regional Transit Authority
• Brockton Area Transit Authority
• Cape Ann Transportation Authority
• Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority
• Franklin Regional Transit Authority
• Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority
• Greenfield Montague Transportation Area
• Lowell Regional Transit Authority
• Martha's Vineyard Transit Authority
• Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority
• Montachusett Regional Transit Authority
• Nantucket Regional Transit Authority
• Pioneer Valley Transit Authority
• Southeastern Regional Transit Authority
• Worcester Regional Transit Authority

The regional transit authorities shown in italics above are within MBTA's commuter rail service area, and provide connections to MBTA's trains. Brockton Area Transit Authority (BAT is a public non-profit organization in Massachusetts, charged with providing Public transportation to the Brockton area consisting The Cape Ann Transportation Authority (CATA is a public non-profit organization in Massachusetts, charged with providing Public transportation to the Cape Ann area Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority (CCRTA operates a bus transit system of fixed and flexible routes as well as a paratransit service in the Cape Cod region of Massachusetts The Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority ( GATRA) oversees and coordinates public transportation in the areas of Attleboro and Taunton Massachusetts The Lowell Regional Transit Authority (LRTA is a public non-profit organization in Massachusetts, charged with providing Public transportation to the Greater The Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority (MVRTA is a public non-profit organization in Massachusetts, charged with providing Public transportation to an area The Montachusett Regional Transit Authority (MART is one of Massachusetts ' 15 regional transit authorities The Pioneer Valley Transit Authority ( PVTA) oversees and coordinates public transportation in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA is a public non-profit organization charged with providing Public transportation to the city of Worcester, Massachusetts ^[29]

Law, government, and politics

State House (Boston)

Main article: Massachusetts Government

Law

The Massachusetts Constitution was ratified in 1780 while the Revolutionary War was in progress, four years after the Articles of Confederation was drafted, and seven years before the present United States Constitution was ratified in 1787. The form of Massachusetts government is provided by the Constitution of the Commonwealth. In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, also the Articles of Confederation was the governing Constitution of the alliance of thirteen independent and The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme Law of the United States.

Following a November 2003 decision of the state's Supreme Court, Massachusetts became the first state to issue same-sex marriage licenses, on May 17, 2004. Same-sex marriage (also referred to as gay marriage) is a term for a legally or Socially recognized Marriage between two people of the same Events 1521 - Edward Stafford 3rd Duke of Buckingham, is executed for Treason. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " (See the articles on same-sex marriage in the United States and same-sex marriage in Massachusetts. Same-sex marriage, also referred to as gay marriage, is a Marriage between two persons of the same sex Same-sex marriage in the US state of Massachusetts began on May 17, 2004, as a result of the Supreme Judicial Court ) Massachusetts is the first state in the union to mandate health insurance for all its citizens. The term health insurance is generally used to describe a form of Insurance that pays for medical expenses (See Massachusetts 2006 Health Reform Statute for more details. Massachusetts health care reform law was enacted in 2006 It requires nearly every resident of Massachusetts to obtain health insurance coverage )

Government

The governor is head of the executive branch and serves as chief administrative officer of the state and as commander-in-chief of the Massachusetts National Guard. In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State. The Massachusetts National Guard was founded as the Massachusetts Bay Colonial Militia on December 13, 1636, and contains the oldest units in the United States The current governor is Deval Patrick. All governors of Massachusetts are given the style His/Her Excellency, a carry-over from the Commonwealth's British past, despite such styles being uncommon in American political traditions. Excellency is a Honorific style given to certain members of an organization or state See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands Responsibilities of the governor include preparation of the annual budget, nomination of all judicial officers, the granting of pardons (with the approval of the Governor's Council), appointments of the heads of most major state departments, and the acceptance or veto of each bill passed by the Legislature. A pardon is the forgiveness of a crime and the penalty associated with it A veto, Latin for "I forbid" is used to Denote that a certain party has the right to stop unilaterally a certain piece of Legislation. Several executive offices have also been established, each headed by a secretary appointed by the governor, much like the President's cabinet.

The Governor's Council (also called the Executive Council) is composed of the Lieutenant Governor and eight councilors elected from councilor districts for a two-year term. A Lieutenant Governor is a high officer of state whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction It has the constitutional power to approve judicial appointments and pardons, to authorize expenditures from the Treasury, to approve the appointment of constitutional officers if a vacancy occurs when the legislature is not in session, and to compile and certify the results of statewide elections. An election is a Decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold formal office It also approves the appointments of notaries public and justices of the peace.

The Massachusetts state legislature is formally styled the "General Court. " (See Massachusetts General Court) Elected every two years, the General Court is made up of a Senate of 40 members and a House of Representatives of 160 members. The Massachusetts General Court (formally styled The General Court of Massachusetts) is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Massachusetts Senate is said to be the second oldest democratic deliberative body in the world. A deliberative assembly is an Organization, comprising of members that uses Parliamentary procedure for making decisions ^[30] Each branch elects its own leader from its membership. The Senate elects its president; the House its speaker. These officers exercise power through their appointments of majority floor leaders and whips (the minority party elects its leaders in a party caucus), their selection of chairs and all members of joint committees, and in their rulings as presiding officers. Joint committees of the General Court are made up of 6 senators and 15 representatives, with a Senate and House chair for each committee. These committees must hold hearings on all bills filed. Their report usually determines whether or not a bill will pass. Each chamber has its own Rules Committee and Ways and Means Committee and these are among the most important committee assignments.

Judicial appointments are held to the age of seventy. The Supreme Judicial Court, consisting of a chief justice and six associate justices, is the highest court in the Commonwealth; it is empowered to give advisory opinions to the governor and the legislature on questions of law. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ( SJC) is the highest Court in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. An advisory opinion is an opinion issued by a Court that does not have the effect of resolving a specific Legal case, but merely advises on the constitutionality or All trials are held in departments and divisions of a unified Trial Court, headed by a Chief Justice for Administrative and Management, assisted by an administrator of courts. It hears civil and criminal cases. Cases may be appealed to the Supreme Judicial Court or the Appeals Court for review of law, but findings of fact made by the Trial Court are final. The Massachusetts Appeals Court is the intermediate Appellate court of Massachusetts. The Superior Court, consisting of a chief justice and 66 associate justices, is the highest department of the Trial Court. Other departments are the District, Housing, Juvenile, Land, and Probate Courts.

Massachusetts's Congressional delegation is entirely Democratic. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. U.S. senators are Edward Kennedy and John Kerry. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy (born February 22 1932 is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic } John Forbes Kerry (born December 11 1943 is an American Politician who is currently serving his fourth term as the junior United States Senator The ten members of the state's delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives are John Olver, Richard Neal, Jim McGovern, Barney Frank, Niki Tsongas, John F. Tierney, Ed Markey, Mike Capuano, Stephen Lynch, and Bill Delahunt. The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. John Walter Olver (born September 3 1936) American politician has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives For the US Marine Corps general see Richard I Neal Richard Edmund Neal (born February 14 1949) has been a Democratic James P "Jim" McGovern (born November 20, 1959) an American politician, has been a Democratic member of the United States Barnett "Barney" Frank (born March 31, 1940) is an American Politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives Nicola "Niki" Sauvage Tsongas (ˈsɒŋgəs (born April 26, 1946 in Chico California) is the U John F Tierney (born September 18 1951) American politician, has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives Edward John "Ed" Markey (born July 11, 1946) has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1976 Michael Everett "Mike" Capuano (born January 9 1952) is an American politician and Democratic member of the United States Stephen F Lynch (born March 31 1955) American politician has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives William D (Bill Delahunt (born July 18, 1941) has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1997 representing Federal court cases are heard in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction is the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, USA Appeals are heard by the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit is a federal court with Appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts

Politics

During the first half of the 1900s, Boston was socially conservative and strongly under the influence of Methodist minister J. Frank Chase and his New England Watch and Ward Society, founded in 1878. In 1903, the Old Corner Bookstore was raided and fined for selling Boccaccio's Decameron. The Decameron (subtitle Prencipe Galeotto) is a collection of 100 Novellas by Italian author Giovanni Boccaccio, probably begun in Howard Johnson's got its start when Eugene O'Neill's Strange Interlude was banned in Boston, and the production had to be moved to Quincy. Howard Johnson's is a chain of restaurants and Hotels, located primarily throughout the United States and Canada. Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16 1888–November 27 1953 was a Nobel -prize winning American playwright Strange Interlude is an experimental play by American playwright Eugene O'Neill. Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. In 1927, works by Sinclair Lewis, Ernest Hemingway, John Dos Passos, and Sherwood Anderson were removed from bookstore shelves. Sinclair Lewis ( February 7, 1885 – January 10, 1951) was an American Novelist, Short-story writer and Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21 1899 — July 2 1961 was an American novelist short-story writer, and Journalist. John Roderigo Dos Passos ( January 14, 1896 &ndash September 28, 1970) was an American Novelist and artist Sherwood Anderson (September 13 1876 &ndash March 8 1941 was an American writer mainly of short stories, most notably the collection Winesburg Ohio "Banned in Boston" on a book's cover could actually boost sales. Burlesque artists such as Sally Rand needed to modify their act when performing at Boston's Old Howard Casino. Sally Rand ( April 03, 1904 &ndash August 31, 1979) was born Harriet Helen Gould Beck in Hickory County Missouri. The clean version of a performance used to be known as the "Boston version. " By 1929, the Watch and Ward society was perceived to be in decline when it failed in its attempt to ban Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy, but as late as 1935 it succeeded in banning Lillian Hellman's play The Children's Hour. Theodore Herman Albert Dreiser ( August 27 1871 &ndash December 28 1945) was an American novelist and journalist An American Tragedy ( 1925) is a Novel by the American writer Theodore Dreiser. Lillian Florence Hellman ( June 20, 1905 &ndash June 30, 1984) was an American playwright linked throughout her life with many This article is about the stage play by Lillian Hellman. For other articles with the same name see The Children's Hour (disambiguation Censorship was enforced by city officials, notably the "city censor" within the Boston Licensing Division. That position was held by Richard J. Sinnott from 1959 until the office was abolished on March 2, 1982. Events 986 - Louis V becomes King of the Franks. 1127 - Assassination of Charles the Good Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) In modern times, few such puritanical social mores persist. Massachusetts has since gained a reputation as being a politically liberal state and is often used as an archetype of liberalism, hence the usage of the phrase "Massachusetts liberal. Massachusetts liberal is a phrase that in American politics is generally used as a political epithet by Republicans against Democrats who are from the state "

Massachusetts is the home of the Kennedy family, and routinely votes for the Democratic Party in federal elections: it is the most populous state to have an all-Democratic Congressional delegation (ten representatives and two senators); this also makes Massachusetts the largest state to have a solid delegation of either party. The Kennedy family are a family descending from the marriage of the Irish-Americans Joseph P The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. As of the 2006 election, the Republican party holds less than 13% of the seats in both legislative houses of the General Court: in the House, the balance is 141 Democratic to 19 Republican, and in the Senate, 35–5. The Massachusetts General Court (formally styled The General Court of Massachusetts) is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts ^[31]

Although Republicans held the governor's office continuously from 1991 to 2007, they have mostly been among the most liberal Republican leaders in the nation, especially William Weld (the first of four recent Republican governors). William Floyd Weld (born July 31, 1945, in Smithtown New York) was the Republican Governor of Massachusetts from 1991 Two of these governors, Paul Cellucci and Jane Swift, took office when their predecessors resigned to take other positions. Argeo Paul Cellucci (born April 24, 1948) is an American politician and diplomat former Governor of Massachusetts, and former Ambassador Jane Maria Swift (born February 24 1965 is the former Governor of Massachusetts. In presidential elections, Massachusetts supported Republicans until 1912, from 1916 through 1924, in the 1950s, and in 1980 and 1984. The United States presidential election of 1912 was fought among three major candidates two of whom had previously won election to the office The United States presidential election of 1916 took place while Europe was embroiled in World War I. The United States presidential election of 1924 was won by incumbent President Calvin Coolidge, the Republican candidate The United States presidential election of 1980 featured a contest between incumbent Democrat Jimmy Carter and his Republican opponent Ronald Reagan The United States presidential election of 1984 was a contest between the incumbent President Ronald Reagan, the Republican candidate and former Vice President From 1988 through 2004, Massachusetts has supported Democratic presidential candidates, most recently giving native son John Kerry 61. -->The United States presidential election of 1988 featured an open primary for both major parties The United States presidential election of 2004 was held on Tuesday November 2, 2004, to elect the President of the United States. } John Forbes Kerry (born December 11 1943 is an American Politician who is currently serving his fourth term as the junior United States Senator 9% of the vote and his largest margin of victory in any state. (It should be noted, however, John Kerry's margin of victory in the District of Columbia was much higher. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D )

During the 1972 election, Massachusetts was the only state to give its electoral votes to George McGovern, the Democratic nominee (The District of Columbia also voted for McGovern). The United States presidential election of 1972 was waged on the issues of radicalism and the Vietnam War. George Stanley McGovern Following the resignation of President Nixon in 1974, two famous bumper stickers were sold in Boston, one saying "Don't blame me, I'm from Massachusetts," and the other read "Nixon 49, America 1"

See also: Massachusetts Constitution and Governor of Massachusetts

Cities and towns

Boston

Main article: Massachusetts Government#Local government

There are 50 cities and 301 towns in Massachusetts, grouped into 14 counties. The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the fundamental governing document of the United States Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The form of Massachusetts government is provided by the Constitution of the Commonwealth. This is a complete list of cities and towns in Massachusetts, arranged in alphabetical order This is a list of Massachusetts counties, consisting of the 14 Massachusetts counties ^[32] Eleven communities which call themselves "towns" are, by law, cities since they have traded the town meeting form of government for a mayor-council or manager-council form. A town meeting is a meeting where the population of an entire geographic area is invited to participate in a gathering often for a political administrative or legislative purpose ^[33] Boston is the state capital and largest city. It is the center of the nation's 11th largest metropolitan area. A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large Metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central Cities over 100,000 in population (2004 estimates) include Boston, Worcester, Springfield, Lowell, and Cambridge. Worcester (ˈwʊstɚ is a City in the state of Massachusetts in the United States of America. Springfield is a City in and the County seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Lowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. As of the 2000 census the city had a total population of 105167 Cambridge Massachusetts is a City in the Greater Boston area of Massachusetts, United States. Massachusetts shares the governmental structure known as the New England town with the five other New England states, as well as New York and New Jersey. The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states History See also History of New England New England's earliest inhabitants were Algonquian -speaking Native Americans including the New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States.

Education

The Widener Library at Harvard University. The Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library, commonly known as Widener Library, is the primary building of the Library system of Harvard University. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and has the largest academic library in the world. ^[34]

Massachusetts has historically had a strong commitment to education. It was the first state to require municipalities to appoint a teacher or establish a grammar school (albeit paid by the parents of the pupils) with the passage of the Massachusetts Education Law of 1647; this mandate was later made a part of the state constitution in 1789. The Massachusetts School Laws were three legislative acts of 1642 1647 and 1648 enacted in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The town of Rehoboth, has been noted to be the birthplace of public education in North America. Rehoboth is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. Massachusetts is home to the country's oldest high school, Boston Latin School (founded 1635), America's first publicly funded high school, Dedham, (founded 1643), oldest college, now called Harvard University (founded 1636), first racially integrated school (Nantucket), and oldest municipally supported free library, Boston Public Library (founded 1848). The Boston Latin School is a public exam school founded on April 23 1635, in Boston, Massachusetts, making it the The Boston Public Library is the largest municipal public library in the United States. In 1852, Massachusetts became the first state to pass compulsory school attendance laws. ^[35] The per-student public expenditure for elementary and secondary schools (kindergarten through grade 12) was fifth in the nation in 2004, at $11,681. ^[36] Massachusetts has scored highest of all the states in math on the National Assessments of Educational Progress.

Massachusetts is home to many well-known preparatory schools, colleges, and universities. A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school (usually abbreviated to preparatory school, college prep school, or prep school There are more than 40 colleges located in the greater Boston area alone. Ten colleges and universities are located in the greater Worcester area. The University of Massachusetts (nicknamed UMass) is the five-campus public university system of the Commonwealth. The University of Massachusetts (officially nicknamed UMass) is the five-campus public university system of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The population of metropolitan Boston and Worcester, and of the Five Colleges area in Western Massachusetts, in particular, surges during the school year. The Five Colleges comprises four liberal arts colleges and one University in the Connecticut River Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts

Further information: List of colleges and universities in Massachusetts and List of colleges and universities in metropolitan Boston

Media

See also: List of television stations in Massachusetts, List of newspapers in Massachusetts, and List of radio stations in Massachusetts

There are two major television media markets located in Massachusetts. The following is a list of Colleges and universities in the U Colleges and Universities in metropolitan Boston include City of Boston Four-year colleges and graduate universities This is a list of broadcast television stations serving cities in the U The following is a list of FCC -licensed Radio stations in the U The Boston/Worcester market is the 7th largest in the United States. All major networks are represented. The other market surrounds the Springfield area. Some communities in Berkshire county are serviced by the Albany, New York market, and some southeastern Massachusetts communities are serviced by the Providence, Rhode Island market. Albany is the Capital of the State of New York and the County seat of Albany County. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Rhode Island ( officially named the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, is a state in the New England region of the United States The Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Worcester Telegram & Gazette and the Springfield Republican are the Commonwealth's largest daily newspapers. The Boston Globe (and Boston Sunday Globe) is the most widely circulated daily Newspaper in Boston and in New England, The Boston Herald is a Tabloid -format Daily newspaper, the smaller of the two big dailies in Boston Massachusetts, United States The Telegram & Gazette (and Sunday Telegram) is Worcester Massachusetts's only Daily newspaper. The Republican is a newspaper based in Springfield Massachusetts. In addition, there are many community dailies and weeklies found throughout the state. There are a number of major radio stations (AM 50,000 watts, FM over 20,000 watts) which service Massachusetts, along with many more regional and community based stations. Some colleges and universities also operate campus television and radio stations, and print their own newspaper.

Sports and recreation

Organized sport

The 100^th running of the Boston Marathon, 1996

Main article: Sports in Massachusetts

Massachusetts has a long history with amateur athletics and professional teams. Sports in Massachusetts have a long history with both amateur athletics and professional teams Most of the major professional teams have won multiple championships in their respective leagues. Massachusetts teams have won 5 Stanley Cups (Boston Bruins), 16 NBA Championships (Boston Celtics), 3 Super Bowls (New England Patriots), and 8 World Series (7 Boston Red Sox, 1 Boston Braves). The Stanley Cup (La Coupe Stanley is an Ice hockey club championship Trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL playoffs champion The Boston Bruins are a professional Ice hockey team based in Boston Massachusetts. The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association and the conclusion of the sport's postseason each June The Boston Celtics are an American professional Basketball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, playing in the Atlantic Division of the professional American football, the Super Bowl is the Championship game of the National Football League (NFL The New England Patriots, commonly called the " Pats " by sports writers and fans are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston For other events named "World Series" see World Series (disambiguation. The Boston Red Sox are a Professional baseball team based in Boston Massachusetts, and are the reigning (2007 World Series Champions. The state is also the home to the Basketball Hall of Fame (Springfield) and the Volleyball Hall of Fame (Holyoke), because those sports were invented within the Commonwealth, as well as the Cape Cod Baseball League. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in downtown Springfield Massachusetts, honors players who have shown exceptional skill at Basketball Springfield is a City in and the County seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The Volleyball Hall of Fame was founded to honor extraordinary players coaches officials and leaders who have made significant contributions to the game of Volleyball. The Cape Cod Baseball League ( CCBL) is an amateur Baseball league located on Cape Cod in the U It is also home to prestigious sports events such as the Boston Marathon, the Eastern Sprints on Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, and the Head of the Charles Regatta. The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon sporting event hosted by the city of Boston, Massachusetts The Head of the Charles Regatta, also known as HOCR or HOTC, is a rowing race held on the penultimate complete weekend of October each year on the The Falmouth Road Race in running and the Fitchburg Longsjo Classic in bicycle racing are also very popular events with long histories. The CIGNA Falmouth Road Race is an annual 7-mile Road race on Cape Cod from Woods Hole, a village in the town of Falmouth Massachusetts, to Fitchburg Longsjo Classic is an annual Road bicycle racing Stage race held in and around Fitchburg, Massachusetts, United States.

The PGA Deutsche Bank Championship and the Champions Tour Bank of America Championship are regular professional golf tour stops in the state. Founded in 1916 the Professional Golfers Association of America (PGA of America is headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens Florida, and is the largest working sports organization The Deutsche Bank Championship is a PGA Tour golf tournament that occurs every year on Labor Day weekend The Champions Tour, a Golf tour run by the PGA Tour, hosts a series of events annually The Bank of America Championship is a Golf tournament on the Champions Tour. Massachusetts has played host to 9 US Opens, 4 US Womens Opens, 2 Ryder Cups, 1 PGA Championship, and 1 Senior Open. The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the US The United States Women's Open Golf Championship, one of thirteen national championships conducted by the United States Golf Association (USGA is one of the LPGA The Ryder Cup is a Golf trophy donated by Samuel Ryder, which is awarded Biennially in an event called the "Ryder Cup Matches" between teams from The PGA Championship (sometimes referred to as the US PGA Championship outside of North America is an annual Golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America The US Senior Open is one of the major championships in men's senior golf The New England Revolution is the Major League Soccer (MLS) team in Massachusetts.

Many colleges and universities in Massachusetts are active in college athletics. There are a number of NCAA Division I members in the state for multiple sports: Harvard University, Boston College, Boston University, Northeastern University, College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA, often pronounced "N-C-Double-A" is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions conferences organizations For similarly-named academic institutions see Education in Boston MA. For similarly-named academic institutions see Education in Boston MA. Northeastern University, abbreviated NU or NEU, is a private University in Boston Massachusetts. The College of the Holy Cross is a prestigious exclusively undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester Massachusetts, The University of Massachusetts Amherst (otherwise known as UMass Amherst, Massachusetts, or UMass) is a research and Land-grant university in

Outdoor recreation

Boating activities such as sailing and yachting are popular all along the Massachusetts coast and its offshore islands. Boating, the leisurely activity of traveling by Boat typically refers to the Recreational use of boats whether Power boats sail boats, or Sailing is the art of controlling a Sailing vessel. By changing the Rigging, Rudder and dagger or centre board a Sailor manages the force Yachting is an activity involving boats It may be racing Sailing boats cruising to distant shores or day-sailing along a coast Hiking and cross-country skiing are also popular activities in many of the state's undeveloped lands. The word 'hiking' is understood in all English-speaking countries but there are differences in usage Cross-country skiing (also known as XC skiing) is a Winter sport popular in many countries with large snowfields primarily Northern Europe, The Appalachian Trail, the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail, the Midstate Trail, and the Bay Circuit Trail are all long distance hiking trails that run the length of the state. The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply The A This topic is about the footpath located in Massachusetts and New Hampshire The Midstate Trail is a scenic footpath which runs through Worcester County Massachusetts, from the Rhode Island border to the New Hampshire The Tully Trail, a 22-mile (35 km) loop in the North Quabbin Region (through the towns of Athol, Orange, Warwick and Royalston) incorporates waterfalls and vistas. The Tully Trail is a loop trail located in the towns of Royalston, Orange, and Warwick Massachusetts near the New Hampshire border A handful of downhill skiing operators still maintain slopes in Massachusetts, although many skiers drive to major resorts in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine for the weekend. Alpine skiing (or downhill skiing) is a recreational activity and Sport involving sliding down Snow -covered hills with long Skis attached Vermont ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. New Hampshire ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The State of Maine ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean Sport fishing still remains a strong outdoor activity. Recreational fishing, also called sport fishing, is Fishing for Pleasure or Competition. Spincasting during the warmer months and ice fishing during winter on inland lakes and ponds, Flyfishing inland rivers for trout, surf casting for striped bass and bluefish and deep sea fishing for cod and haddock all remain popular. Ice fishing is the Activity of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening in the Ice on a frozen body of Water Fly fishing is a distinct and ancient Angling method most renowned as a method for catching Trout and Salmon, but employed today for a wide variety of Trout is the common name given to a number of Species of Freshwater Fish belonging to the Salmonidae family The striped bass ( Morone saxatilis, also called rock or rockfish is the state fish of Maryland, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and The bluefish ( Pomatomus saltatrix) called tailor in Australia, is a species of popular marine game- Fish found in all climates The Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, is a well-known Demersal food fish belonging to the family Gadidae. The haddock or offshore hake is a marine Fish distributed on both sides of the North Atlantic. Hunting, primarily for whitetail deer and waterfowl continues to attract a number of residents. Hunting is the practice of pursuing Animals for Food, Recreation, or Trade. The White-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus) also known as the Virginia deer, or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized Deer found throughout See also UK Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust USA Ducks Unlimited

See also

• List of Massachusetts-related topics

References

Bibliography

Overviews and Surveys

Secondary sources

External links

• The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
• Massachusetts Historical Society
• USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Massachusetts
• Maps of Massachusetts
• 1837 descriptions of Massachusetts cities, towns, mountains, lakes, and rivers, from Hayward's New England Gazetteer.
• Massachusetts State Symbols
• Miscellaneous Massachusetts Facts
• Massachusetts State Facts from USDA
• Massachusetts 351 Project
• Massachusetts Constitution and Laws
• Massachusetts Tourism Board
• Maritime History of Massachusetts, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary
• Atlases of Massachusetts. 1871-Walling&Gray, 1891-Walker, 1892-Mass. , 1904-Walker. Large Images at Salemdeeds.
• Free images of 300+ Maps of Massachusetts at www. DavidRumsey. com